35. Edward Richard Schluter Jr. (1952-1954)
Served 2 Years
Edward Schluter Jr. was born July 23, 1916, and the son of Edward Sr. and Lillian (Puvogel) Schluter in Hicksville. He married Matilda Erb in October of 1946, in Mechanicsville. They lived at 20 Raymond Street, and he was a General Contractor.
Ed was a Captain in the United States Army during World War II. He was with the 78th Division, 309th Regiment Cannon Company and was awarded the Bronze Star. Capt. Schluter served in the European Theater.
He joined Chemical Engine Company 3 and was a 2nd generation firefighter. His father was Chief Edward Sr. and Served 2 Years his brother Harry Schluter served as well. He served as Captain in 1950 and was elected as 2nd Assistant Chief in 1950 and 1st Assistant Chief 1951, before being elected as the 35th Chief in 1952 through 1954. His Assistant Chiefs were Arnold Jeanson (1st) and Lawrence (Larry) Huttle (2nd).
In May of 1952, the Department approved a new by-law that would allow any member having served at least 25 years in the Department, or at least 15 years upon reaching their 60th birthday, the ability to request to be placed on the Honorary List. This list would exempt embers from fines, dues, and assignments. This is similar to what is now “Life Active” status.
In 1953, voters approved the purchase of an RCA 60-watt base station to enhance radio communications. Only Chief Schluter would have a radio to communicate with the fire dispatcher. During his term it was an active year for fire and emergency alarms. Chief Schluter commanded the members at a fire in the Soda Spa on South Broadway. The blaze started in the basement when a Christmas Tree and rubbish fueled the basement fire. A second fire at Bea’s Luncheonette located at 200 Broadway and a fire gutted at Zike’s Barn on New South Road. The barn was slated to be demolished when the fire was discovered at 11:15 PM on December 30th.
In November, a young mother died of coal gas poisoning and her two children were felled by the gas in their home at 27 North Drive. The mother was unconscious in the bedroom and the children had fallen in the living room. Firemen worked on the victims for two hours using up two large tanks and six small tanks of oxygen. The 29-year-old mother died at the hospital and the two children (3 and 6) recovered from gas poisoning.
During the holiday season in December, an explosion split open a new home in Hillside Terrace off Woodbury Road. The explosion caused the death of an oil burner repairman and put a mother and two young children in the hospital. The mother was preparing her baby’s bottle in the kitchen at the time. The flash fire roared through the house, blackening walls, particularly in the kitchen where all the white woodwork was blackened. Windows were smashed and the walls of the house buckled. A wall in the bedroom was pushed a foot out of line. The cause was a gas heater and kitchen range that ignited when the switch was thrown to start the oil burner. The repairman for the Whale Oil Products of Brooklyn was in the semi-basement of the new dwelling when the explosion took place. His clothes were shredded and ripped from his body by the blast. Her children were taken to Meadowbrook suffering severe burns.
Two-way radios were added to the apparatus fleet. The new system was linked to the fire station on Marie Street. It was tied into the current Gamewell fire alarm box system.
At the Department meeting in October of 1953, it was voted on and approved to issue Ex-Captain’s badges to members who have attained the title and purchased by the Board of Commissioners.
During the Labor Day 25th Anniversary in 1953, over 4,000 volunteer firefighters and hundreds of Ladies Auxiliary members participated in the events. Edward set up a committee to coordinate a special event that took place on the Saturday prior to Labor Day with the "Bug House" Comedy Parade, which was well attended by many Nassau County departments. Following this was a block party opposite the firehouse, complete with a 5-piece orchestra, lasting until the wee hours of the morning. Chief Schluter oversaw the first televised Labor Day firemen’s tournament on September 7 that was held on Levittown Parkway. It was televised on NBC.
The notable fires under his command were a gas main explosion on Broadway and Somerset Avenue that sent flames over 30 feet into the air, taking hours to control, but not after one building was destroyed. Two people were hurt, including Edward Dwyer who was taken to Meadowbrook Hospital with 2nd Degree burns. The year ended with a fire at Hudson Motors on 206 Broadway.
A seven-year-old boy who resided at 33 Picture Lane, was a victim of the tragic accident in a newly dug drainage pit. His death was a result of lack of fencing at the pit which is under construction as a sump for a new housing development. There were several children playing around the rim of the new pit which was still being dug. The child slipped and pitched down the bank, loose sand and gravel cascaded downward and within seconds the sand had covered him to a depth of about two feet.
During his term, the Department was saddened to learn of the passing of former Chiefs, Fred Fricke, and Julius Augustin. Edward served on the Annual Labor Day Parade and Drill as their chairman in 1955.
In March of 1975, Oyster Bay Town Councilman Warren M. Doolittle announced the Town Board appointment of Edward Schluter, Jr., as Commissioner of the Hicksville Water District. Schluter whose appointment was effective immediately, filled the vacancy caused by the death of Commissioner W. Arnold Jeanson. He is a resident engineer with Charles H. Sells Inc., and had experience in all phases of sanitary sewer, storm water sewer and drainage.
Edward moved to Halcottsville, NY in 1980 and was a member of the Halcottsville Fire Department. Chief Schluter passed away on July 11, 2009, and is interred at Kelly’s Corner Cemetery in Margaretville, New York.
This is an actual photograph when a 7-year- old boy was killed during a tragic accident in a newly dug drainage pit. The boy’s death brought was a result of lack of fencing at the pit which is under construction as a sump for a new housing development
